Overnight storm first of one-two punch

Mother Nature has just thrown the first right hook of what is expected to be a brutal one-two punch in the Chicago area today.

Snow started falling at about 1 a.m. this morning, making the morning rush hour move at a snails pace while spin-outs and minor fender benders became more frequent.

The weather also held air travelers hostage with delays ranging from 30 to 60 minutes at O'Hare International Airport as of late afternoon with about 250 flights canceled.

Passengers at Midway International Airport fared better with few cancellations and delays averaging 30 minutes.

Chicago Aviation Department officials advised fliers to check with their airlines before heading to either airport.

But, still all of that's nothing compared to the falling temperatures expected to hit the area tonight.

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service said winds will increase and temperatures will drop throughout the day.

They added a wind chill warning advisory is in effect from midnight until 12 p.m. Friday. Officials said look for wind chill temperatures to reach zero to 10 below this evening, with late and overnight wind chills as low as minus 30.

The snowfall that is hitting the area now will continue into the early afternoon with accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, meteorologists said. The largest accumulations will fall south of the city, officials said.

Accidents and spin-outs were reported on most expressways Wednesday morning due to snow and icy conditions.

Illinois state police announced their emergency snow plan was in effect Wednesday, and motorists involved in minor crashes should exchange numbers and file police reports at a later time.

Accidents and spinouts have been reported in Hoffman Estates, Grayslake, Elgin and Buffalo Grove among many others.

The longest delay this morning seems to be on the inbound Stevenson Expressway at Route 41 where delays averaged about two hours for most of the morning.

O'Hare officials announced, due to the snowstorm moving through the Chicago area, delays at O'Hare are averaging 60 to 90 minutes and airlines have canceled more than 300 flights. Midway reported delays of up to 60 minutes with minimal cancelations.

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